TURNING POINT: Overcoming the Heat

NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 22 April) — We are in the midst of summer and the heat, particularly the heat index, is unbearable.

The heat index is a measure indicating the level of discomfort the average person is thought to experience as a result of the combined effects of the temperature and humidity of the air.  When the air temperature and relative humidity increase, the heat index increases, and conversely.

The heat index, also known as the apparent temperature, is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature.  This has important considerations for the human body’s comfort.  When the body gets too hot, it begins to perspire or sweat to cool itself off.  Evaporation is a cooling process. If the perspiration is not able to evaporate, the body cannot regulate its temperature.  A sudden leap may risk a person to a heat stroke – the failure of the body to cool itself.

The highest recorded temperature was 42.2 C in Tuguegarao, Cagayan, on April 29, 1912, and May 11, 1969, as officially recorded by the PAGASA.

The highest unprecedented heat index recorded was 60 degrees Celsius in Dagupan City, on July 2, 2020, and in Casiguran, Aurora in 2023. This was followed last Wednesday, 16 April 2025 at 50 degrees Celsius in Los Banos, Laguna. A heat index from 42-50 degrees Celsius is dangerous to one’s health.

Two heat sources contribute to the risk of heat-related illness.

Environmental heat is produced by warm or hot surroundings.

Metabolic heat, generated by the body, is related to workload (physical activity).

It is important to keep cool always to avoid heat stroke or other heat-related illnesses. Avoid direct exposure to the sun. Sport an umbrella when walking under the scorching sun. Keep away from asphalt and paved roads; they absorb and reflect intense heat. When heat is overpowering, keep shelter in buildings or trees whichever is available. Minimize working outdoors or be properly covered.

In cities, the malls are a great refuge. In rural areas, trees provide sanctuaries.

Taking a bath in the cool river is a respite, especially from the summer heat. Avoid bathing in unshaded beaches or the open sea. The exposure will damage your skin.

If you can afford install an air-conditioner in your room or at least an electric fan.

Avoid crowded areas. This could mean becoming a responsible citizen, shying away from crimes to be spared from the simmering rat holes of Philippine jails, where 20-40 inmates would be housed in a cell designed only for 6.

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental.)